So, I decided to explore my local area more yesterday. I left my apartment, only to run smack-dab into the middle of a protest/strike sort of thing. My, the French love their protests. Anyway, I walked around Republique and of course it started pouring, so I ducked into the first place I found and it happened to be the most amazing French used bookstore . It was in this spindly old building with scary spindly staircases, but it was FOUR STORIES PACKED full of every kind of book I could ever imagine. The place smelled like drowned rat from everybody evaporating in the tiny enclosed space and was as humid as North Carolina in July, but still!!! COOL! I went to this tiny Turkish deli run by a guy from Istanbul... I kid you not, the man is 48 and he looks like he's 35... no wrinkles, totally dark hair. Anyway, he was totally hitting on me, this Sebastian fellow was, but it was funny. The food was amazing and very reasonably priced, so despite the overly-gregarious Sebastian, I will be back again soon.
Today, church was relatively uneventful. It was French Mother's Day, and it's pretty much exactly the same as in the States (at least the church part)... little kids sing, multiple talks with references to the mothers of the stripling warriors, flowers getting passed out. It was nice, though. It just made me miss my own mom and want to be there to support her right now.
Tonight, I walked to the Notre-Dame and went to Mass... THAT was an interesting experience. I didn't take any pictures because I didn't want to be rude. I figured I wouldn't want people taking pictures during the middle of sacrament meeting, right? It was a lot of standing and mumbling phrases I didn't know, and I left when they started passing out communion. It is a little strange watching herds of people walk up to guys in white nightgowns passing out crackers. I kind of got lost on the way home... I pretty much started walking towards the big spires without paying attention to the buildings I was walking past or the road names. I whipped out the handy map, and fortunately, I recognized the main drag that I had taken to the Notre-Dame and realized I was walking in wrong direction. Crisis deferred! I got home fine but now I am porting some studly blisters again... ouch!
Anyway, gotta enjoy the evening before work again tomorrow.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
What a Masse!
Posted by Lost in Translation at 11:23 AM
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2 comments:
Have you seen "Under the Tuscan Sun"? Your adventures totally remind me of the lady in that. Except you seem to be able to communicate a little easier. I can only imagine all the wonderful sites you are seeing. Catholic Mass is something everyone should experience at least once in their life - followed by a Catholic wedding! It all sounds like fun (as long as I had a trusty tour guide!)
I have seen "Under the Tuscan Sun," and I do sort of relate to her experiences. Granted, I haven't had a bird poop on me yet, so maybe my experience here is not yet complete. But 10 days left, so you never know! There are all sorts of pigeons who would probably willingly oblige.
Mass at the Notre-Dame was quite the experience. I loved the part where the high priest or whatever was holding the wafer up in the air for 10 minutes of singing. The Notre-Dame is amazing, though. Anyway, back to work!
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